The present invention relates generally to automatic, high-speed packaging machinery and, in particular, to a transfer conveyor assembly interfacing between a collator and either a polyfilm wrapping machine or an envelope stuffing machine.
With ever-increasing costs for direct mail advertising the charges for which are determined by the gross weight of the mailed literature, it becomes desirable to minimize the weight of the mailer within which the advertising literature is mailed. Heretofore, film wrapping equipment has been developed by Doboy Packaging Machinery, Inc. for appropriately enclosing the collated literature in a film envelope containing graphics that appropriately designates the addressor, addressee, as well as further advertising. The wrapper may also include transparent windows so as to highlight the contained literature. Collating equipment, such as the model A-297-6 manufactured and sold by the Phillipsburg Manufacturing Division of the Bell and Howell Corporation is available for appropriately arranging a number of pieces of literature to be mailed into separate stacks and which are later either manually or automatically stuffed into appropriate paper envelope. In that paper envelopes tend to be heavier than polyfilm wrappers, it is desirable that the collated material be wrapped in polyfilm in lieu of paper envelopes.
While the collator and polyfilm wrapping equipment have previously been developed, a problem has persisted in the development of a suitable assembly for interfacing between the above-mentioned equipment. The device coupling the collator to the wrapper should allow the option whereby the advertising matter may be appropriately film wrapped or, alternatively stuffed into a conventional paper envelopes without requiring extensive efforts to reconfigure the equipment. It is also necessary that a transfer assembly operate in synchronization with the associated collating and wrapping/stuffing equipment. Such synchronization becomes especially critical for a film wrapper, since in that case it is necessary that the collated matter be admitted relative to a preprinted and formed tube of polyfilm that is subsequently sealed and cut. If synchronization is not maintained, the printed matter is not properly aligned relative to the printed polyfilm and, thus, waste occurs. Also, it is necessary to maintain a high transfer rate without inducing curling or other disassembly of the collated and stacked matter.
These various objects are, however, achieved via the present transfer equipment which is comprised of a plurality of overlapping flights of chain drives, each having associated pushing members attached thereto for engaging the stacks of printed matter and transferring them at a controlled rate to the appropriate mailing wrapper. Synchronization is achieved between the collator and the transfer assembly by coupling collator drive to the transfer assembly and by initially spacing the pushing members of the primary transfer drive to accomodate the collation time of the stacks of printed matter.
The above objects, advantages and distinctions of the present equipment, as well as various others will, however, become more apparent upon reference to the following description thereof with respect to the following drawings. Before referring thereto, though, it is to be recognized that the following description is made only with respect to the presently preferred embodiment and, accordingly, various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.